Glenbard East’s Rakosnik brings home title
CHARLESTON — The near stranglehold DuPage County has at 800 meters bore more prosperous fruit Saturday on the final day of the girls track and field season.
In the process Lindsey Rakosnik added her name to the galaxy of stars who have dominated the distance in the past decade-plus.
The Glenbard East junior, one year removed from a runner-up performance at 400 meters, concluded a perfect season by winning the Class 3A 800-meter run in 2 minutes, 11.08 seconds at O’Brien Stadium.
Rakosnik seized the lead with 500 meters to go and never relinquished it in becoming the third consecutive large-school local champion in the event.
Annette Eichenberger (West Chicago) and McKinzie Schulz (Benet) captured titles the previous two years; it also marked the eighth time in the last 11 years the large-school race has been won by a local product.
“I don’t believe that,” Rakosnik said.
Former DuPage Valley Conference legends Sammie Pollock (Wheaton North) and Casey Short (Naperville Central) combined for five Class AA titles between 2001-07.
The Rakosnik win at 800 meters was given even greater resonance earlier in the afternoon when Downers Grove North turned back Wheaton Warrenville South for the 3,200 relay crown.
Two races earlier, traditional small-school power Timothy Christian won the same event in Class 1A.
“I knew (Rockton Hononegah sophomore Clayton Courtney) was fast and could feel her (coming down the stretch),” Rakosnik said of her closest pursuer. “There’s more strategy (in the 800) than the 400, but it’s not as long as the mile. I wanted to work my hardest.”
It is believed to be the first state track championship in program history at Glenbard East.
In the opening 3,200 relay, the Downers North quartet of Gabbie Hesslau, Stephanie Urbancik, Gaby Effrein and Jillian Kothanek held off yet another predictable charge from school-recording setting WW South.
At the critical juncture Wisconsin-bound Effrein, later fifth in the open 800, turned the tide on the third leg.
Kothanek denied WW South anchor Hope Schmelzle for a second straight day to give the Trojans their first state championship in 19 years.
“Once I got the baton I shot for the lead,” Effrein said. “One of my strengths is catching people from behind.”
The Trojans’ 9:09.61 time — one of the fastest in state history — bettered the Tigers’ collective 9:11.27.
The Tigers have not had a state champion in 31 years.
“I was going out there to run my race and see what we could do,” Schmelzle said.
“We all went there and left it on the track,” third-leg McKenna Kiple said.
Amy Yong and Mikayla Kightlinger ran the Tigers’ opening two legs.
York was fourth, Glenbard West sixth and Naperville Central sixth in the same event.